Chapter 1

KIARA POV

And again, it's that weird dream. It always starts with fire burning everywhere, and someone screaming my name. When I try to look back, everything gets so blurry, and then I wake up.

"Knock, knock! Kiara, you have to wake up, you will be late for the meeting," my elder sister Sofie called out from outside my room door.

"I'm awake, Sofie, just give me 30 minutes to get ready."

"Okay, just be quick because father is already ready," Sophie replied.

Today's the day for the meeting between the two major mafia groups in London. I'm about to attend a meeting with my father Leo Blade, the leader of the Blade Mafia family, to sign a marriage treaty with the new Mafia lord of the Darkwood Society.

"Father, do you honestly believe that the Darkwood would really accept this treaty, even after the 15 years war we have had with them?" I asked silently as we were on our way to the meeting site.

"Of course, Kiara, they have no other choice since we have something they need, which is the northern border for their business," he replied.

"But what if?" I uttered with a sigh of doubt.

"Remember, his just a young new lord, so it should be easy to get this treaty done just remain calm and show no sign of fear, you know I only picked you for this because you're the most trained and strongest out of my daughters and I trust you won't fail me," he said with a stern face.

"Of course, father, I won't." I nodded.

I already know the main purpose of this marriage treaty is for me to be able to spy and discover the Darkwood Society's secrets and weaknesses, and I am determined to do so.

A few minutes passed, and we arrived at the site waiting for the Darkwood Society to arrive. 2 hours passed, and they were nowhere to be seen. At this point, my father was already at his limit and was furious at their tardiness.

"How dare this young man keep me waiting!" He shouted furiously.

"Father, relax, you know this is unlike the Darkwood Society, they should be arriving soon," I said, trying to calm him down.

A few minutes later, they arrived, 5 black cars pulled up opposite ours, and there he was, the new Mafia lord of Darkwood, coming down from the last one. He had dark, slick hair and piercing, dark emerald eyes and a very tall and muscular build.

Standing from afar, I could tell he was definitely more than 6ft, but that was not the shocking part, it was his chiselled chin and his piercing emerald eyes that seemed as if they could see deep into my soul. I had heard rumors of this man Xander Darkwood before of how he was handsome and most ladies in both mafia groups wanted to get in bed with him, but I never paid it any attention.

But wow, even I, who had never given any man attention, was stunned at his beauty. He noticed I was looking at him and gave a quirky smirk. I quickly removed my face to make sure my father noticed nothing.

"Good evening, Leo Blade. I apologize for my late arrival, I had an urgent matter to settle." He stretched forth his hand to shake my father.

"And a good evening to you, Xander. I accept your apology just this once," Father answered with a stern face as he accepted the handshake.

We all then proceeded to enter the building to start the meeting of which we were all there.

As we were all seated now, an elder from the Darkwood Society stood up and started the meeting.

"As we all know, we are here to form a peace treaty between the Blade mafia family and the Darkwood Society, to open up the northern border in exchange for the Darkwood Society's alliance," he announced.

"And what do we get in return?" a Blade mafia member asked.

"Of course, we promise to refrain from our attacks on thenm. And I would be the one to get married to her, of course," he uttered as he smirked.

Honestly, I hated the way he smirks, it made me feel weak. I glared at him, and he drew closer to me and bent to the side of my ear.

"Is that any way to look at your husband to be, huh, my dear future wife?" he whispered.

And again, I was stunned by how his voice could make me feel this week. I could not believe that a man I had never met before could make me feel this way.

I answered sternly, "You are not my husband yet, so I can look at you anyway I please."

He smirked again and then faced my father.

"I accept this marriage treaty," he said, and then he shook my father.

Thereafter, we all went back to our seats, and other topics were brought up since the main one had been settled.

It took about 2 hours for everything to come to an end, and then we were to leave for our various places, as my father and I were about to enter our car, Xander appeared again to greet my father, and once more he stared at me.

And again I felt that feeling of weakness I hate as he stared at me, it seemed like he was looking into my entire being, and I could do nothing about it.

He said his greeting to my father, and then he made his way back to his car and left.

A few minutes later, we also left and were on our way back home. My father spoke to me.

"Kiara, always remember that the man you saw today is your enemy, and you must never show him your weakness or fall for his tricks," he said.

"Of course, father, I won't," I replied.

And then we made our way back to the Blade Mafia family residence.